MEDIA FACT SHEET
Southern Thailand Coast to Coast
Across Southern Thailand's Karst Country
An 8-day journey from Surat Thani to Krabi, beginning on the Gulf of Thailand at a beachfront hotel on Khanom Beach and crossing the peninsula through plantations, working villages, limestone valleys and Ratchaprapha Reservoir before finishing on the Andaman coast at Ao Nang.
Primary riding days range from 56 to 70 km, with an optional warm-up ride of up to 20 km on arrival day. The route is mostly flat or gently rolling, with karst scenery providing much of its visual identity without requiring sustained mountain climbing.
Fast Facts
Destination: Southern Thailand
Activity: Guided bicycle touring
Duration: 8 days
Start: Surat Thani
Finish: Krabi
Riding: 56-70 km on primary days
Warm-up: Up to 20 km optional
Level: Moderate
Terrain: Mostly flat & gently rolling
Season: December to May
Lodging: Beach hotels, villas & floating hotel
Bike: Merida Speeder
Support: Guide team + support van
Price: From $2695
What Makes the Journey Different
This is a genuine cross-peninsula ride rather than a coastal itinerary. The journey starts near the Gulf, turns inland through rubber and oil-palm country, threads between Southern Thailand's limestone formations and reservoirs, and finally returns to the sea on the Andaman side.
The signature break in the cycling comes at Ratchaprapha Reservoir, also known as Chiew Larn Lake, where guests spend two nights at a floating hotel and trade bicycles for boats, caves and kayaks. The route then continues through Phang Nga's karst country and into communities where working landscapes and local conservation projects become part of the trip.
Editorial Angles
Coast to Coast Through Karst Country
Rather than following one shoreline, the route crosses Southern Thailand from the Gulf side to the Andaman, using quiet roads through plantations, valleys and limestone country.
Two Nights Floating Among the Cliffs
Ratchaprapha Reservoir interrupts the ride with a two-night stay at a floating hotel on the water. Long-tail boats, Crystal Cave and kayaks replace the bicycles while limestone walls become the immediate surroundings.
Community Conservation by Bicycle
At Laem Sak, riders encounter community-based tourism through a soft-shell crab nursery and, when conditions allow, local work to restore native orchids to nearby forest.
Across Southern Thailand
- Khanom Beach to rural Surat Thani - 70 km: Leave the Gulf coast after an optional warm-up and ride inland through villages, temples, pineapple farms, rubber and oil-palm plantations.
- Ratchaprapha Reservoir - 59 km: Watch the karst formations grow closer through the day before boarding a boat to the floating lodge.
- Reservoir layover: Explore Crystal Cave by boat and spend time kayaking beneath the limestone cliffs.
- Phang Nga - 70 km: Return to the bikes beside forest and karst landscapes, stopping at Wat Rat Uppatham before continuing to a resort beneath the cliffs.
- Laem Sak - 56 km: Ride through palm country to a community working with soft-shell crab aquaculture and native-orchid conservation.
- Ao Nang - 68 km: Finish through inland karst country before turning back toward the Andaman coast and the cliffs of Ao Nang.
How Pedalers Runs the Trip
Guides: Local, English-speaking Thai guides lead the riding and coordinate the cultural visits, lake activities and day-to-day logistics.
Bicycles: The standard bicycle is a Merida Speeder, a lightweight flat-bar road bike suited to the paved rural roads on the route. eBikes are available as an optional upgrade.
Support: A support van carries luggage and drinking water and provides ride assistance. It is used to bypass larger highways and other sections where quieter roads make for a better cycling day.
Accommodation: Lodging includes a beachfront hotel on Khanom Beach, riverside and countryside properties, two nights at a floating hotel on Ratchaprapha Reservoir, and smaller properties set within the karst landscapes of Phang Nga and Krabi.
Food: Southern Thai cuisine gives the trip a regional identity through fresh seafood, sharper curries and family-style meals chosen by the guide team. The food reflects the coast and agricultural landscapes being ridden through.
About Pedalers
Pedalers has operated small-group active journeys since 1987, specializing in cycling, walking and canoe trips built around local knowledge, thoughtfully designed routes, regional food and distinctive accommodations.
The company focuses on destinations its team knows firsthand rather than maintaining a large global catalog.